Guide mechanism for packaging machine

ABSTRACT

IN A PACKAGING APPARTUS WHEREIN A SUCCESSION OF OPEN BAGS ARE PROVIDED AT A PACKAGING STATION AND PUSHER MEANS ENGAGE ARTICLES TO BE PACKAGED AND INSERT THEM INTO SAID OPEN BAGS, A GUIDE MECHANISM FOR SAID APPARATUS, WHICH COMPRISES OPPOSED GUIDE MEMBERS, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID GUIDE MEMBERS FOR MOVEMENT TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM THE PACKAGING STATION, MEANS MODIFYING SAID PIVOTAL MOUNTING MEANS SUCH THAT MOVEMENT OF THE GUIDE   MEMBER TIPS TOWARDS EACH OTHER IS LIMITED DURING THED MOVEMENT OF THE GUIDE MEMBER TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM THE PACKAGING STATION.

1971 R. E. RAISEMACHER 3,

GUIDE MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 10, 1969 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ROBERT E. RADEMACHER ATTORNEY Novl 9,1971 R. E. RADEM ACHER 3,618,292

GUIDE MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE 6 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Dec. 10, 1969 ow a? Q R M m x Q 8 9Q Mm g l Nb mm mm mm mm mm E. mm a Q E @m INVENTOR.

RQBERT E. RADEMACHER 8Y5 N QE WILL

ATTORNEY 'N -'9."1 7 fifs'fnzbzmcuzn 16 GUIDE MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 10, 1969 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5

I NVENTOR. ROBERT E. QADEMACHER ATTORNEY 1971 R. E. RADEMACHER 92 GUIDE IECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 10, 1969 ATTORNEY Nov. 9, 1971 R. E. RADEMACHER 3,613,292

GUIDE MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING "ACHINE Filed Dec. 10, 1969 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 6

FIG.

INVENTOR. ROBERT E. RADEMACHER ATTORNEY.

[971 a. E. RADEMACHER 3,513,293

GUIDE MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 10, 1969 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. ROBERT E. RADEMACH-ER ATTORNEY FIG. 7

United States Patent 3,618,292 GUIDE MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Robert E. Rademacher, Richmond, Va., assignor to AMF Incorporated Filed Dec. 10, 1969, Ser. No. 883,960 Int. Cl. B65b 39/00 U.S. Cl. 53---257 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a packaging apparatus wherein a succession of open bags are provided at a packaging station and pusher means engage articles to be packaged and insert them into said open bags, a guide mechanism for said apparatus, which comprises opposed guide members, means pivotally mounting said guide members for movement towards and away from the packaging station, means modifying said pivotal mounting means such that movement of the guide member tips towards each other is limited during the movement of the guide members towards and away from the packaging station.

BACKGROUND This invention relates to the packaging of articles and more particularly to apparatus for bagging narrow articles.

Bagging apparatus generally include means for inflating the topmost bag of a bag supply, at least one pusher bar and a pair of opposed members that form a guide through which the pusher bars push an article into the inflated bag.

These guide members are pivotally mounted and are operated between two positions, a closed position where the guide members are pivoted inwardly toward each other to present a narrow profile for entry into the inflated bag and an open position where the guide members engage the sides of a bag and hold it open while the pusher bar pushes the article into the bag.

The bag supply is commonly mounted in front of and at a lower level than the guide members and thus there are two criteria for the pivotal movement that have to be met, the fronts of the guide members must be retracted far enough in their inwardmost position to permit the bag to rise in front of the guide members and they must be advanced enough in their outwardmost position to allow a suificient portion of the guide members to enter the bag to grip it and hold it open for the entry of an article therein.

Generally, the guides of packaging machines of the class described are mounted for relative lateral movement to provide a capability for bagging a variety of article widths. And, a simple pivotal movement of the guide members suffices for a wide variety of shapes and sizes of bags, since a simple pivotal movement will retract and advance the guide member tips to allow for the bags to rise and be engaged. However, for very narrow bags, the guide members are mounted so close to each other that a simple pivotal movement does not provide the required longitudinal movement of the guide members necessary to meet the two criteria set forth hereinabove. Either there will be an inward pivot insuflicient to retract the guide tips to allow the bag to rise, or there will be an insufficient outward pivot to enable the guide members to engage the bag.

SUMMARY It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide packaging apparatus for narrow articles.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a guide mechanism operable to handle the bagging of narrow articles.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a linkage for pivoting a pair of opposed guide members in a packaging machine in such a manner that there is substantial forward movement of the guide members with a corresponding small amount of lateral movement.

In accordance with these and other objects, apparatus according to the invention may comprise a guide means for a packaging machine, which comprises a pair of opposed members, means mounting said members for pivotal movement toward and away from each other, and means for modifying said pivotal movement to elfect limited lateral movement of the guide member tips.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a packaging machine including the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the machine shown in FIG. 1 with a portion thereof broken away to depict parts of the operating mechanism thereof.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a portion thereof broken away to show features of the operating mechanism of the machine.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a guide mechanism according to the invention.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the guide mechanism.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the guide mechanism taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a plan View of the guide mechanism showing an adjustment for a different sized bag.

RELATIONSHIP TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS The guide members and linkage disclosed in this application are a modification of analogous portions of the packaging machine disclosed in the assignees co-pending application, Ser. No. 763,100, filed Sept. 27, 1968. The supply means disclosed in application is the functional equivalent of that disclosed in the assignees co-pending application, Ser. No. 620,387, filed Mar. 3, 1967.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 13, the machine specifically described in the aforesaid co-pending application, Ser. No. 763,100, includes a conveyor 10 (the numbers ascribed to the various parts of the packaging machine are not the same as those in the co-pending application) for transporting articles to a transfer station 12 opposite a supply subcombination 14 that is operable to provide an open bag in spaced relationship to the transfer position. A plurality of pusher bars 18 are mounted in housing 20 and driven such that they engage articles at the transfer position, push them over a dead plate 22, through a guide mechanism 24 and insert them into the open bag. The pushers push the article against the back of the bag and thus remove the bag from the supply and the guide mechanism whereupon the bagged article falls on an outfeed conveyor 26 that transports it to a collection area.

While the conveyor 10 shown and claimed in the aforementioned co-pending application is a variable flight conveyor the guide mechanism of the instant invention is operable in an environment with any conveyor that moves articles to the transfer position.

One form of a supply subcombination 14 that can be utilized in conjunction wit-h this invention is set forth in applicants co-pending application, Ser. No. 620,387, but any supply means that provides an open bag opposite the transfer position can be used in conjunction with the instant invention.

The supply subcombination 14 (the numbers are not the same as those in the co-pending application) includes, briefly, at least one tray 28 slidably mounted on a support 30 such that it may be precisely positioned with respect to the transfer position, the guide mechanism and the path of the pusher bars. The tray is adapted to receive a wicket of bags (not shown), each held therein by an extending lip that forms part of the bag, as disclosed in detail in said application Ser. No. 620,387. A jet (not shown) connected to a source of compressed air is mounted adjacent the tray 28 to inflate the topmost bag when an article is detected approaching the transfer position by a photocell 32.

The tray is mounted below the guide mechanism, but when the topmost bag is inflated it rises such that at least a substantial portion of the mouth of the bag is in spaced relationship with the guide mechanism.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-7, a guide mechanism 24 according to the invention includes a pair of opposed guide members 34 and 36 respectively, one mounted on each side of the path of the pusher bars 18. A channel shaped mounting bracket 38 is secured to each of the guide members, as by bolts 40 (FIGS. 6 and 7). The guide members are movable between their outward position, shown in solid lines in FIG. 4 and their inward position, shown in dotted lines by a linkage 42 connected to the lower flange of the respective mounting brackets.

The linkage 42 connected to each of the guide members includes a primary pivoting arm 44 connected to the rear of the lower flange of the brackets 38 at 46 and a secondary pivoting arm 48 pivotally connected to the front of the brackets 38 at 50. The other ends of each of the primary pivoting arms 44 are connected to the top of a vertically extending shaft 52 by a wing tip nut 54. The other ends of each of the secondary pivoting arms 48 includes an eyelet 56 which is mounted over the top of a vertically extending pivot post 58, with a wing tip nut 60 provided to secure the arm thereon for pivotal movement.

The shafts 52 are mounted for pivotal movement in sleeve-like supports 62 and the pivot posts 58 are mounted to the supports 62 by a horizontally extending bracket 64.

With this arrangement, a parallel linkage is established and when the shafts 52 are pivoted, in opposite directions in a manner described hereinbelow, the pivoting motion imparted to the guide members by the primary pivoting arms 44 is modified by the action of the secondary arms 48 such that there is substantial longitudinal movement of the guide members with little lateral movement. With particular reference to FIG. 4, the tendency of the primary pivoting arms are, on the inward movement, to move the guide members to the rear and swing their tips in towards each other. The action of the secondary arms does not affect the rearward movement, the longitudinal element of the movement of the guide members, but does affect the inward movement of the guide members tips, the lateral element of the guide member movement, limiting the amplitude of the inward movement of the guide members due to the fixed location of the eyelets 56 and the length of the secondary arm. The eyelets 56 are, in effect, second pivot points that pivot the tips of the guide members outwardly as the pivoting of the primary arms around shafts 52 pivot the rears thereof inwardly.

Referring back to FIGS. 2 and 3, the shafts 52 are rotated in the same manner as the corresponding shafts in the aforesaid co-pending application Ser. No. 763,100, that is by levers 66 connected to the bottoms thereof. The levers are connected to an actuating bar 68 by fork shaped connectors 70.

The guide members are pivoted inwardly by forward movement of the actuating bar 68. This is effected by a bell crank 72 connected to the actuating bar at 74 and pivotally mounted to the machine frame at 76. The bell crank is rocked by a rod 78 connected at one end thereof to the bell crank at 80 and at the other end thereof to a cam follower 82. The cam follower 82 is pivotally mounted at the center thereof to a bracket 84 by a pin 86 and includes a cam follower wheel 88 that rides on a cam 90 mounted on the output shaft 92 of a gear reduction unit 94.

A spring 96 connected at one end thereof to bell crank 72 and at the other end thereof to the frame at 98 assists in the pivoting of the guide members to their inward position.

In operation, as cam 90 allows cam follower wheel 88 to be pulled upward and thus causes rod 78 to pivot bell crank 72 in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 3, the forward end of the guide members 34 and 36 are pivoted to their inward most position whereat the forward ends thereof are behind the front of dead plate 22. This permits the topmost bag of the bag supply, when inflated by a jet of air, to be blown up to its full height since the bottom of the guide members will not block it.

When the cam follower wheel 88 rides up on cam 90, cam follower 82 pulls rod 78 up and thus pivots bell crank member 72 in a counterclockwise direction, pivoting the guide members 34 and 36 outwardly. This outward pivotal movement results in the forward movement of the guide members into the open bag to hold the bag open for the reception of an article pushed therein by a pusher bar 18.

The spacing between the guide members is adjustable for different package (bag) widths in the same manner as the guide members in the aforesaid co-pending application Ser. No. 763,100.

An additional adjustment for package widths is provided by making the secondary pivoting arm 48 of adjustable length. With reference to FIG. 7 each of the secondary pivot arms comprises a sleeve member 100 that is bored and tapped at both ends for threadedly receiving a connecting eyelet member at each end. The eyelet members designated 102 and 104 respectively, can thus be rotated in the sleeve member 100 to change the length of the secondary pivot arm. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 7 the secondary pivoting arms have been made longer with comparison to those shown in FIG. 4. This results in a shorter distance between the guide member tips than that shown in FIG. 4 when the shafts 52 rotate the guide members to their outwardmost position. With the arrangement shown in FIG. 7 the sides of a narrower bag would be engaged and held open by the guide members than the arrangement shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, each of the guide members 34 and 36 comprise an inner plate 106 and an outer, shaped, scoop member 108. The inner plate and the outer scoop member are joined together to the brackets 38 by the bolts 40. The outer scoop members include slots 110 in the area where they receive the bolts, such that they may be raised with respect to the inner plate and bracket. With this arrangement the guide members may be adjusted for bags and articles for different heights. Both the inner plate and the outer scoop members are flared outwardly at 112, the rear portion thereof, to effect a funnel arrangement for articles being moved therethrough from the transfer position by the pusher bars and which may be off centered. Thus, the guide members are adjustable for different shapes and sizes of narrow articles. It is, however, the linkages 44 that make the packaging a range of narrow articles possible since without the modification of guide movement effected thereby, the type of apparatus disclosed would not successfully operate.

Having now fully set forth both structure and operation of preferred embodiments of the concept underlying the present invention, it may be that various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described will occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept. All such embodiments, variations, and modifications as incorporate the spirit of the invention and depend upon its underlying concept are consequently to be considered as within the scope of the claims appended herebelow, unless the claims by their language expressly state otherwise.

I claim: 1. Guide means for a packaging machine, which comprises:

a pair of opposed guide members, means mounting said guide members for pivotal movement toward and away from each other, and

linkage means connected between each of the members and a respective remote fixed anchor for modifying said pivotal movement to effect limited lateral movement of the guide member tips.

2. Guide means according to claim 1, wherein each of said guide members includes inner and outer plates that are movable with respect to each other to adapt the guide members to various size articles.

3. Guide means according to claim 1, wherein:

the means mounting the guide members for pivotal movement includes a first arm connected to each guide member and means for pivoting said first arms, and

the linkage means for modifying the pivotal movement includes a second arm pivotally mounted to each of the guide members at a point spaced from the connection of the first arm thereto and pivotally mounted to its respective remote anchor at its other end,

the first and second arms thus forming a parallel linkage,

4. A guide mechanism according to claim ,1, wherein said means pivotally mounting said guide members includes:

a shaft for each guide member,

an arm mounted on said shaft and connected to said guide member, and

means for pivoting said shaft.

5. A guide mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said means for modifying said pivotal movement includes:

a link pivotally connected to the guide members between the connection of the arms thereto and the guide member tips and anchored on a pivot post spaced from said shaft.

6. Guide means according to claim 4, wherein:

each of the linkage means for modifying the pivotal movement includes a second arm pivotally mounted to each of the guide members at a point spaced from the connection of the pivoting arm thereto, the second arms being pivotally mounted at their other end to the respective remote anchors,

the arms for pivoting the guide members and the second arms for modifying the pivotal movement thereof thus forming a parallel linkage.

7. In a packaging apparatus wherein a succession of open bags are provided at a packaging station and pusher means engage articles to be packaged and insert them into said open bags, a guide mechanism for said apparatus, which comprises:

opposed guide members,

means pivotally mounting said guide members for movement towards and away from the packaging station, and

linkage means mounted between each of the guide members and a respective remote fixed anchor for the operation of said pivotal mounting means such that movement of the guide member tips towards each other is limited during the movement of the guide members towards and away from the packaging station.

8. A guide mechanism according to claim 7, wherein:

said guide members include inner and outer plates that are movable with respect to each other to adapt the guide members to various size articles.

9. A guide mechanism according to claim 7, wherein:

the means mounting the guide members for pivotal movement includes a first arm connected to each guide member and means for pivoting said first arms, and

the linkage means for modifying the pivotally mounted to each of the guide members at a point spaced from the connection of the first arm thereto and pivotally mounted to its respective remote anchor at its other end, the first and second arms thus forming a parallel linkage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,952,954 9/1960 Perrin 53-458 X THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner R. L. SPRUILL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 53-258, 261 

